


Magical Anomalies

by Lt_Kickbutt



Category: RWBY
Genre: April Moncon, Dialogue Heavy, Family Secrects, Gen, Magic, Pre-Cannon, headcannon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-23
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-10-23 05:54:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10713546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lt_Kickbutt/pseuds/Lt_Kickbutt
Summary: Yang, Blake, and Weiss didn't get to choose their families, but their families have magical secrets they have to continue to protect. Before they were team RWBY they were a Branwen, a Belladonna, and a Schnee and there are strange magical expectations for each of them.Short stories with no really real ending.





	1. Camping Trip

**Author's Note:**

> This is my submission work for April moncon on r/RWBY. The criteria was "Members of team RWBY" and "Magic"
> 
> It feels good to finish some writing for the first time in a long time. It was a close call this month, but I'm happy with it.

“Look how HIGH we are Ruby!” Breaking from her mother’s hand Yang ran off ahead of her parents and Uncle Qrow. Finally stopped dead at the edge of the cliff by her mother’s forceful demand to freeze. Swiftly and brazenly young Yang spun around on her heels to face her family. Yang’s Uncle Qrow spouted out a tirade of expletives retrieving all the dropped bags, blanket, and the cooler full of food, ready to leap after if she stumbled. Her mother Summer, alternating between tears and bursts of rage, fell to her knees as she had try and rid herself the thought of Yang tumbling over. And her father Tiayang struggled to calm the both of them while also wrangling Yang’s eleven month old baby sister Ruby, who was busy trying to simultaneously emulate her mother’s screaming and her sister’s bolt to impending doom.

Yang had just a grin in response. Visible only by the silhouette of her expanding cheeks against the enormous setting sun behind her. It colored the endless sky bright orange as the cliff expanded as far as the eye could see to either side. Her yellow sun dress, faded from numerous unexpected washes after muddy romps around the yard, waved with the high breeze. Yang spun back around to face the sun, looking down she could see the ground below, if only just barely, and the canopy of trees that expanded across the largest gorge in Remnant. It’d be a tourist attraction if not for the Grimm who inhabit the area. Instead, the Xiao Long family lived just a bit less than a mile away. A small hike for a spot to camp and picnic to be sure, but the setting suns were legendary.

The suns heat toasted young Yang’s skin as she stretched her arms as wide as possible to catch as many rays as possible, the sun so wide here it expanded passed her tiny wingspan. Closing her eyes she hummed approvingly thinking that the sun had been made perfectly for her, her family, and their favorite spot.

“YOUNG LADY!” Broken from her trance by her mother Yang leaned back towards land until she tumbled backwards onto the grass. Looking up at her parents she flashed a toothy grin pleading mercy.

With a giggle Yang forced up some sincerity, “Sorry mom.” Stumbling along taking up the rear Qrow caught up and proceeded to drape the blanket over the sprawled out Yang.

“HEY!” The lump of three year old floundered under the blanket as she cried, “Help! A Grimm got me! It’s all going black!” Faking choking noises she writhed in place until Tiyang lifted the blanket off. Surrounded and towering over her the three started to laugh. Smiling Yang felt the familiar ooze of snot on her cheek and bolted to her feet.

“Don’t laugh Uncle Qrow!” She stamped her feet and blinked back the water in her eyes, “Mommy!” Yang turned and Summer had been right there waiting with her white cape in hand, wiping away the tears and the snot.

“Yang sweetie, your uncle wasn’t laughing at you. Now move over so your father can put the blanket down.” Grabbing Yang Summer yanked the grumbling child away from the spot and tried to cheer her back up with a whisper in her ear, “You going to help Daddy and Uncle Qrow set up the tent?”

“Yep! I know just what to do, Dad made me read the instructions so I could help.” Summer sat on the blanket in the sun with Ruby in her lap. The pair snuggled in the sun exchanging smiles as Yang separated the arms of the tent into piles.

Concentrating she carefully recited the alphabetical and color coding to Tiyang, “First are the red As. They connect to the blue As” Checking the instructing she moved to the opposite side of the laid out tent with her Uncle, “You have the yellow Bs, which go into the green Cs” Qrow connected the pieces as the skeleton started to come together, “This is pretty easy, huh Uncle Qrow?”

“Real breeze, kid” Tiyang and Qrow stretched the tent out and wedged the arms in their proper place, “Couldn’t have done it withoutcha”

Little Yang hummed out in approval as her smile stretched across her face, “I’M GONNA GO TELL MOM!” yelling back as she sprinted back towards the blanket closer to the cliff. Summer had tiny bites of strawberry for Ruby to practice chewing as mom got an early picnic dinner ready. Yang came barreling at them with the grace of a cannonball she literally flew into view diving onto the blanket next to her mom.

“Did you see me?! Did you see me?!”

“Another perfect dive Yang! Did it hurt?”

“Not that! The tent! Uncle Qrow said I helped a lot” Summer gathered up the pile of Yang with an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, “Of course I saw! I was impressed at what a good helper you are. Turning red in the sun Yang hair matted with sweat as she snuggled up.

Summer handed the girl a juice box, “Drink this, you look thirsty.” Yang reached out her hand but Summer stopped, “Don’t squeeze it this time” before handed it to her carefully. The juice pouch, popular among young aspiring huntsmen, all have different Grimm on the cover. Yang drank greedily as the pouch shrank and shrank until the face of the Nevermore flattened.

Yang hollered in triumph with her defeated juice box in the air, “Now _I_ am the huntress!”

“Another village saved. Garbage in here please Miss Huntress” Summer held out a garbage bag for her.

“What have you and Ruby been doing?” Yang settled back down, laying on her side she propped her head up on her elbow.

“Your baby sister is starting to get chewing down…” Summer managed a piece of strawberry in Ruby’s mouth and mocked chewing noises. “Are you hungry yet?”

“Ummm…Yes” Yang sat up on her butt and watched her sister eat, “did you bring a peanut butter sandwich for me?”

“I diiiid” her mother sang out before dropping the bomb shell, “but first you have to try two bites of this!” Summer pulled out a fresh sandwich cut in half with an unrecognizable paste between two slices of bread.

“What is it?” Gawking with obvious concern.

“Chicken salad. It’s got chicken with mayo to make it more like a spread, but it’s got yummy grapes and celery and walnuts to make it crunchier and sweeter.” Summer held the half sandwich out in front of Yang’s face who leaned in and took an entire bite.  Yang never instantly revolted against food anymore, instead she built a convincing (in her mind) amount of drama in all things. Her mother would play along in anticipation of a verdict that was as slow and deliberate as a TV game show. Summer’s smile widened as her daughter’s chewing slowed. With a gulp she spoke.

“It’s yummy”

“I knew you’d like it!” Summer cheered out agreed on by Ruby’s infant clapping. Yang’s face turned hot but she smiled all the same, “Okay. Here’s the rest of your sandwich” Yang took the half with a bite missing, “Sit here and try to teach Ruby how to chew. Just show her, she’ll watch.

Chewing like a horse Yang watched her baby sister watch her. “It’s actually a good sandwich” Yang repeated for Ruby. She took another bite and stared into her silver eyes. Unblinking, Ruby didn’t coo or fidget for such a long time Yang started to become nervous. Chewing slower she figured herself either an excellent teacher or a downright awful one. A soft humming from Summer entranced the young Yang into a calm and turning to her mother Summer’s face glowed in orange light of a setting sun.

With only two bites remaining Tiayang called out to his daughter, “Yang! We’re going to hammer in the stakes now!”

In a blur that would have put her sister’s future semblance to shame Yang was up, sandwich dropped, and next her father hollering, “I want to use the hammer!!!”

“I know, I know. Here” Tiayang handed Yang a rubber mallet while he and Qrow pulled the ropes tight and set the stakes in place. Yang strut around the tent with a smug smile and the mallet draped over her shoulder, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.

“Hey Uncle Qrow! Who am I?!” Yang stumbled about with the mallet over her shoulders pulled against the back of her neck.

Her Uncle Qrow struggled to start the stake in a hard patch of earth while he answered, “I don’t know…A Beowolf? And an ugly one at that.”

“NO!! I’m you! This is my scythe”

“Oooh…” Qrow forced a smile before taking out his frustration on the stake giving a firm aura empowered punch into the ground.

“WHOA! Dad! Can you punch the stakes in?”

Chuckling Tiayang beckoned Yang over, “Let’s just use the hammer. Hammer has to work too.” Tiayang had the first stake set to an angle and Yang towered with hammer in hand she crouched down, tensed up, and swung gingerly. Opening her eyes Tiayang knelt right beside her, “Little harder than that”

She swung again with her eyes open and the stake moved, inching into the ground. Yang looked up for a response, “Couple more of those”

Yang taps became firmer and firmer and by the third and final stake she had been using appropriate swings. Even with the job done Yang did not relinquish the hammer. Keeping it on her person, either in her hands or down her pants with the head holding onto her waist they built up their fire pit. The sun had set on their beautiful horizon when the fire was lit and Yang voiced her thoughts.

Baby Ruby slept in her seat under the protection of the tent as the rest of her family gathered around a crackling fire. Tiayang sat on the ground with legs crossed with Yang in his lap, Qrow to their right seated on a stump, and Summer to left preparing sticks with marshmallows. “Do you guys think a hammer is a good weapon for a huntress?”

“Depends on how hard you _swing it_ ” Uncle Qrow animated his words with a jolly swing of his flask before drinking out of it. Finishing his sips Qrow opened his eyes and jutted his chin out towards Yang. With his finger on his jaw he slurred his next sentence, “Let’s see how hard you swing.”

Her uncle’s taunt yielded its reward as Yang eyes flared and she lifted the rubber mallet over her head and with a howl she swung towards his face. Qrow didn’t flinch as the head zeroed in on a direct hit to the jaw.

“Oh no you don’t young lady.” Just in time to sneak a hand in Tiayang caught the rubber head in his palm.

Summer’s protesting seemed to snap the girl out of a blood rage, “Yang! That looked awfully cruel, were you actually going to hit your uncle?”

Yang blinked twice and her lilac eyes returned before she tried to tug the mallet head away from her father.

“He said I could! I have to try! Otherwise how will I know if I’m any good with a hammer?”

Trading smirks with his niece Qrow continued to goad, “Yeah, parents, its _huntsmen training_ ”

“Yang, we know we don’t hit others even if we’re taunted or teased, yes?”

“Yeah…”

“And we save the _real good_ hits for the Grimm?”

“I know…”

The parents looked at each other and their defeated daughter before Tiayang spoke, “But your Uncle Qrow says its huntsman training and he _is_ the expert” He let go of the hammer, “So show us what you got.”

Yang didn’t pause, didn’t ask again, didn’t give her uncle a chance to speak before she lifted her weapon to the night sky and slammed it down on Qrow’s cheek. Qrow embellished out a yawn as the hammer reverberated against his aura. Yang finally let go of her hammer shaking the feeling back into her hand.

“Uncle Qrow! No using your aura!”

“Sorry firecracker, you can’t change the rules now.” Yang’s fists curled as pain ebbed into power and her hair stood straight up. Singeing the hairs off her father’s arms around her Yang threw a pint sized haymaker. Instincts moved Qrow’s face out of the way, but in an even more impressive, completely sober, display of reflexes Tiayang grabbed his daughter at the waist stood up and flipped her upside down in the air in one fluid motion.

“AH! Dad stop! I’m calm, I’m calm!” Yang swung and struggled as her mane of hair swayed side to side.

“Good swing! Although huntress don’t take cheap shots.” Tiyang inverted his daughter back right side up and crouched down to set her on the ground. Tiayang knelt face to face and moved the hair from his daughter’s eyes as they giggled together.

“Now apologize to your Uncle Qrow” Summer leaned in over Tiayang’s shoulder.

“Sorry Uncle Qrow…”

Qrow sat back down at his stump, “Don’t sweat it. You’d never hit me anyway.” Yang’s head spun around with a glare when Summer intervened with a marshmallow. Yang took her stick and plopped back into her father’s lap.

He took his daughter’s hands, gripped around the stick, in his own and they lowered the marshmallow over the fire. “I don’t know why we bothered with the fire when we could just roast these off your head.”


	2. Falling and Falling Asleep

“ _Mommy. MOMMY!”_ Summer awoke to a rattling and the harsh whispers of her daughter. The glow of moonlight through the tent assured her she could still get some more sleep. Tiayang snored softly in her ear, undisturbed by their daughter. She could feel Yang fidget next to their air mattress and knew what was coming.

“mmm?” She mumbled out without opening her eyes to get Yang to talk.

“I have to go potty.”

“mmhm. Do you want me to come with or do you think you can get it?”

This had not been be the Xiao Long family’s first camping trip so Yang had gotten used to going outside, never without her mother, but becoming an older sister granted her many more responsibilities and a new streak of independence.

“No, I think I can go.”

“That’s my big girl” Summer turned her head deeper into the pillow, “Just stay next to the tent, don’t go any closer to the cliff okay?”

“Okay” Young Yang whispered back and unzipped enough of the tent to crawl out.

Turning the corner to the cliff the moon glowed large and seemed so close she might be able to reach out and grab it. Pulling up her sundress she peered towards the cliff and let out a gasp and let go.

Her heart raced as the skinny black silhouette of her uncle Qrow and his scythe stood just on the edge of the cliff. She gathered up her dress again ready to burst when the silhouette began to tip backwards. Before realizing he wasn’t going to catch himself uncle Qrow fell off the cliff, with his arms spanned to his side at the last visible moment he opened his eyes, turned all red he saw his niece starting to shake. Falling out of sight the sky sparked

The cold breeze exasperated the hairs standing up on the back of her head as her heart raced and her eyes filled with water. In a wail she screamed out, “HELP, HELP! HELP UNCLE QROW!” Tears ran down her face as her knees shook. Fear immobilized her and the screech of a Nevermore in the distance made her ears ring. Yang tried to stifle her fear, covering her head with her dress, curled into a ball on the ground, and softly sobbed into the dirt. Summer came rushing around the corner to find her daughter.

“Yang honey!” Summer collapsed to the ground and gathered up her daughter in her lap. “It was just a dream baby, you were just dreaming.”

Yang spat out words against her mother’s thighs as she remained unconvinced, “No! I woke up! You have to check on Uncle Qrow! He fell off the siiiiiiiiiiide” Her last word came out long as she broke out in more tears.

“No, n-“

“GO HELP UNCLE QROW!” Yang shrilled out in her highest, loudest voice stopping Summer’s comforting.

Wincing Summer’s demeanor changed, “Yang. Look up here.” She did as she was told, her eyes red and puffy and face covered in tears and snot. Summer glared back at the young girl. The expanse of her silver eyes ending in a furled brow. Fear gripped Yang, fear not only for her uncle, but of the unrecognizable glare on her mother’s face and the mighty flapping of a Nevermore in the distance.

“Yang…” Summer’s eyes began to glow and with a stroke of Yang’s hair she passed out in her mother’s arms. “Sorry baby, maybe your uncle Qrow can calm you”

Summer carried Yang back to her father, who had left the tent with a soothed Ruby in his arm. She passed her into his arms, “She had an accident. I packed her an extra pair of undies in the diaper bag.”

“Okay mom.” Tiayang received their daughter and hoisted her up as he spoke, “It was just another stroke of bad luck, Yang catching Qrow.”

“All he ever is. He’ll straighten her out though.” Summer swung her hood over her head and turned towards the woods.

“Be careful” Tiayang’s wife flashed her husband smile over her elbow before dashing off into the distance.

Next thing Yang knew she had been plunged into a body of water with no end in sight. She swam up towards a pale light and broke the surface with a gasp for arm. Looking up her uncle’s hands reached into the water and pulled her out by the arm pits onto her feet.

Qrow took Yang’s hand and the two began to walk across the water with black as far as Yang could see. Shivering through chattered teeth, “Did you really fall off the cliff like I saw?”

“Really I threw myself off. It was on purpose.”

“Oh… How come?”

“To get here” Yang looked around when Qrow stopped tugging her along. Without releasing how much they had moved Yang looked up to dozens of red portals, floating in the air and crackling a menacing red like the color of Grimm eyes. Coming and going were numerous black birds all circling above before diving into another portal.

“Where is here?”

“Your dream” With a wave of his hand a fire flashed into existence and Yang gathered around it to try and dry off.

“I’ve never dreamed anything like this before.”

“Not _yet_ you haven’t.”

“How do I know this is a dream? Mom told me you falling off the cliff was a dream.” The wet clothes stuck to her skin disappeared at that moment, replaced by dry ones, Yang looked down to a pink princess dress flowing past her feet and scratching around the neck.

“Ah!” She yelped and fell backwards in a struggle with her feet, “Do I have to wear this?”

“Of course not. It’s your dream. You decide all the rules.”

“How do I do change?” Imagining what she wanted to wear by the end of her sentence Yang had been stripped naked and smiled cynically as she ran around the fire in the nude.

Qrow sat cross legged and put his face in his palm, “That’s not very lady like you know.”

“Lady like? Is this better?” In the next moment Yang was draped in her mother’s white cloak giggling like she had unlocked the secret.

“Its…It’s a good place to start” Her uncle said with a smile before grabbing her and tugging her into a cuddle he used to swaddle Yang in her mother’s cape.

Looking up and around Yang examined her surroundings, “What are they doing?”

“Magical helpers. And these magic portals, they can take me anywhere in Remnant, even into people’s _dreams,_ in the time it takes to simply think of the spot. We’re here to make sure everything is in order because dreams and real life can get a little backwards sometimes.”

“Is that your job?”

“One of them. It’s a family job. And one day you’ll be able to help.”

“Okay” Yang considered her conversation a bit longer in uncle Qrow’s lap before speaking, “Is this actually real?”

Qrow jumped at the opportunity, “Nope. You _are_ just asleep.”

Yang’s eyes fluttered open to the sound of birds chirping outside the tent. She was the only one inside asleep and climbed outside to her family and the morning sun. With a stretch and a yawn her parents and uncle gathered around.

“I was dreaming.”


	3. Headway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Young Blake Belladonna, activist extraordinaire.

The commercial liner pulled into the dock of Menagerie under clear, sunny skies with the quiet roar of a busy bazaar. Passengers began filling off onto the shore family and friends waited for loved ones to arrive. A father away on business kissed his wife and hoisted his son in his arms. A nervous young man searched the crowd before getting pounced on with a passionate kiss as a couple separated by an ocean met for the first time.

In the crowd the Belladonna family attracted attention. Businessmen and woman gathered around them with their best samples of food, drink, and the most beautiful dresses for his daughter. All eager to get their chance at the ear of the chieftain.

A friendly face fought his way through the crowd, “Ghira! Who’s the diplomat important enough to bring the whole family out to greet them?” He shook hands with Mr. Belladonna before shaking Kali’s, and reaching down for their thirteen year old daughter, Blake.

Blake took his hand energetically as her father spoke, “No diplomats today. He’s an historian from Vale, here to study the Cradle for a doctoral thesis.”   Ghira patted Blake on the back and she turned toward the stream of passenger’s and held a sign over her head: _Bartholomew Oobleck_.

Reading the name on the sign their guest pulled out a notepad and pen, “Oobleck… Odd Faunus name.”

“Yes, yes it would be…” Ghira remained stoic but tried to glance at the reporter’s notes. The scratching of his pen came to an abrupt stop.

“I meant…he is right?” Ghira looked at the reporter and replied with a stern shake of his head

“Wow!” The reporter began to write franticly to catch back up, “This is big news! No human has ever been allowed access.”

“I am aware.”

“The White Fang agreed to that?”

“We agreed that it was time break away from our archaic cloistering from their humanities. Faunus and mankind still have a way to go, but we don’t need to keep our history a mystery from everyone anymore.” Kali gripped her husband’s hand as Blake’s body tensed to the frantic scribbling.

“Will more human historians be studying in the cave then?”

“No, no. Professor Oobleck is an extreme exception for the time being.”

“Hmm. Will Professor Oobleck be able to write whatever he likes?”

“The White Fang and Menagerie Consul will get a final approval before he submits anything.”

Kali worked a smile as she spoke to break his constant questioning, “It’s a small step.”

“Baby step, but the readers will be at ease we’re not giving up every secret” He looked up from his notes and gave a genuine smile, “myself included.” He clicked his pen closed, suited as he begun to build his story in his head. “How long will Professor Oobleck be studying here?”

“Two weeks. He’ll be lodging in our home.”

“Two weeks? I’m no historian but is that enough time to really get into this?”

“I am assured he is quite the fast worker.”

Trailing behind the end of the departing passengers a wiry man with green unkempt hair, mismatched socks, and his shirt half tucked in approached the Belladonas. Not used to the ocean breeze a gust of wind would nearly knock him off his feet causing him to stumble about. He carried a brown trunk, with brightly colored clothes bursting out between the hinges, a large roll of paper under his armpit, and a thermos in the other hand.

He stopped in front the sign with his name and bowed down to a full ninety degree angle, “It is an extreme honor to be invited into your country and home there aren’t enough thank yous to express my gratitude for this opportunity.”

The four Faunus’ jaws dropped at the sight of this prostration as they tried to parse together his sped up sentence. With a cringe Ghira looked about the dock, but all passengers had seemed to find their home and left. Just to make absolutely sure he asked, “Are you Professor Bartholomew Oobleck?”

“Why yes I am indeed. And you must all be the Belladona family” Working from left to right he named them in a flash with rapid fire handshakes, “Kali, Blake, Ghira, and….”

“I am… just leaving” The reporter looked at his chieftain with eyes wider than then the mouse ears atop his head, “I have to get to work.” Before breaking their handshake turning and bolting in the opposite direction.

As he ran off Oobleck turned but continued as though talking to himself, “Ah yes. Can’t sleep with work to be done. Even in a paradise such as this. Well done.”  

Behind the professor Blake’s and her mother’s faces were long and solemn. Their ears sagged as the highly recommended historian babbled on to himself. Ghira wrapped a hand around each of their shoulders and with a supportive squeeze Kali found her ability to speak again, “Would you like help with your bags? At least let us carry that roll of paper so it won’t get folded badly.”

“Much obliged Mrs. Belladonna!” He handed it to Blake’s outstretched hands and the four headed to their home at the center of the village. They did their best to keep their smiles as Professor Oobleck went into a verbose description of how poorly he does on the water.

They reached house Belladonna and Professor Oobleck humbly walked inside behind the three. After a tour and a trip to the bathroom Ghira and Kali had their widest table set up in a spare room with a couch to sleep on against the wall. Leaving him to set up his studies Kali popped her head back through the door, “We’ve had fish stew simmering all day waiting for us if you’d like a bowl in here.”

“Why yes I would love a bowl!” Professor Oobleck dashed around the table opening his trunk and taking out textbooks, notepads, and numerous binders and setting them out in front of him just so. Kali nodded with a smile and disappeared from the doorway, but in her wake Blake silently snuck into the room. Her steps made no noise as she ducked around and behind the Professor Oobleck, interested in the titles of things and shear mass of academic material he brought with him. Priding herself on stealth operations since she was a toddler, she lingered a second longer than she should have when Oobleck unraveled his poster.

 Using a bit of electrically charged static dust Professor Oobleck attached it to the far wall. On it were numerous pictographs with dates, locations, and meanings. Blake cocked her head to the side and squinted from under the table as he had her back to her.

“Would you like me to explain it?” Blake wasn’t particularly surprised she had been caught, he was a huntsman after all, but took no shame in snooping inside her own home. She crawled out from under the table as the professor extended his pointer to reach the entire poster.

“You see all these pictographs are different ancient languages, well more so ideas then a hard language, but they are from archeological sites all around Remnant. Underneath are the dates they were inscribed, best guess on that, the location they were found, and best guess on what they have might have meant.” Professor Oobleck traced a horizontal line cutting the poster in half, “The top half are ancient human pictographs, the bottom half are Faunus.

Blake got closer to examine, with great interest, her people’s ancient language. Unfortunately according to the omnibus the examples of pictographs on the bottom half were severally lacking compared to the top. Even the few that were shown had mostly missing dates and meanings.

A look of disgruntled confusion swept across Blake’s face, “As you can see, the bottom half is…lacking”

A knot of shame, sorrow, anger, and righteousness tied up Blake’s stomach for this small glimpse of what her father was trying to accomplish, “I see…”

“But this is why I am here! My thesis will research the missing holes in knowledge, compare them to man’s language and the hope is to completely translate languages that have been lost to time!”

As Blake tried to find the words to wish him luck, thank him, or apologize for something Kali walked through the door with a bowl on a tray, “I have your dinner professor.”

“Ah yes! I really can’t thank you enough for all of this.”

“Oh it’s exciting for us too. To play a role in all this, and have such an important guest.” Kali set the tray down on the only free table space left and turned to the door, “Come on and get dinner Blake, let Professor Oobleck work in peace.”

Blake remained fixated on the poster as her next sentence came out before realizing, “Actually mom, I asked and professor said I could eat with him. It is pretty exciting, like you said.”

The professor Oobleck raised an eyebrow but remained silent, “Oh, alright. Try not to get in his way. I’ll go get your bowl too.”

After Kali had exited professor Oobleck moved to his bowl of stew and said what was on his mind, “You didn’t have to lie, I would welcome the company.”

“Oh…well this way…if I had asked while she was here she would have objected to the idea. This way we save some time.” Blake stared at her missing lineage in poster form as the professor cleared space off the table for her to sit.

Kali returned with Blake’s bowl and her father, who pulled Blake aside to gently remind her to not bother the professor unnecessarily and how happy he was that she had taken an interest in the matter. After all do pleasantries Kali and Ghira retreated from the room and the professor and Blake ate their fish stew sitting at adjacent corners while Oobleck flipped casually through his notes.

“So you’re like an actual huntsman _and_ a PhD historian?” Blake asked between bites.

“Yes that does describe me.”

“It just seems…which huntsman school would let you spend time getting a history degree instead of training?”

“At Beacon Academy in Vale. There the headmaster, Professor Ozpin, believes a huntsman in training can learn to do more than live to fight for the rest of their lives. If the student is diligent enough to keep up training and their studies.”

“He’s the one that recommended you to my parents.” Finishing his bowl Blake noticed she still half of her delicious, warm, fatty, spicy, fish stew left and with a pout began eating faster to catch up.

“Well I shan’t let him down then. Or your parents.” Oobleck flipped the page of his notes as Blake slurped from her bowl. “Are you interested in history as well?”

“Not like my dad, no. I like politics though. Faunus rights stuff mostly.”

“Faunus rights on Menagerie?”

Blake blushed as she got defensive, “Well we do get news from all over the world! And it wasn’t long ago when the Atlas military set up a recruitment building on Menagerie. We protested outside of there. It _does_ happens. Even here.”

“Hmm, yes indeed.”

“I’m leaving soon though, once my boyfriend can he’s going to get me off this island with him and we’ll be activists for Faunus everywhere.”

Professor Oobleck offered Blake a book and she curled up on the coach in the room and began to read studiously. It wasn’t actually anything different then what Blake and the Belladonna family did normally during their nights, but the sped up frantic scratching of Professor Oobleck’s pen did make it feel more exciting.

With this immediate sense of purpose to aide Blake read late into the night trying to understand as much as possible before they visited the Cradle tomorrow. As the hours ticked on Blake’s eyelids drooped and after two or three lion-like yawns Professor Oobleck had to notice. “Could I have that book back? I need to look something up.”

Blake obliged immediately handing it over and lingering around for a moment before asking, “Anything I can do?”

“No, nothing in particular. Why don’t you go to bed? You look tired.”

“What? I can still learn more before tomorrow. I need to know what we’re looking for when we get there.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll know when you see it.”


	4. Origin of All Things

The next morning Blake led the way to Menagerie’s historical cave, the site of Faunus kind’s greatest museum and home to some of the earliest writing in the history of Remnant. Ghira swelled with pride as he had not seen Blake this enthusiastic for anything other than leaving home and working to save all Faunus kind. She wore what she assumed to be typical archeologist garb in khaki shorts and a black top. They cut through the trodden path in the jungle until they reached their destination. A wide ravine on the island with the most fertile land and where the two largest rivers met.

There was only one building in the area, at the entrance of the cave, nicknamed the Cradle for the importance it had on early Faunus life. They approached on foot, the only way to get there, and were met by the resident curator.

“Welcome professor. It’s an honor to be part of your studies here.”

“The honor is mine. I promise to treat your history with respect and care.”

The giant elephant Faunus of a man in the curator guided the band into the building, shook hands with his chieftain and his family, retrieved maps, gloves, and helmets and the group set into the cave. Blake had been here a handful of times before with her father, had a favorite spot or two, but the Professor Oobleck was bouncing off the walls as he scribbled exact copies of images on the wall.

The curator offered up most information quite willingly. The images on the walls early in the cave were rather close to what Oobleck assumed were simply human counterparts. The oldest pictures were closer to the entrance to the cave, to find a time closer to what he wanted they needed to go deeper. The curator and Ghira led the way to a nook in the cave Blake had never thought about twice.

Oobleck stopped his rapid mumbling and put down his pencil to ask, “Is this the entrance then?”

Kali put her hands on Blake’s shoulders as Ghira moved to the wall and placed his open palm on the wall. Into her daughter’s ear she whispered, “Prepare yourself for something magical” Kali gripped down as the wall moved in slow and stony fashion. Blake inhaled as her ears stood straight up and goosebumps covered her body as she began to see what was behind the wall.

The space behind the wall traveled farther than then her enhanced vision could see. In the distance a sun hung high in the sky and the landscape continually transformed as the jungle expanded. Behind the wall a jungle more green and lively than anything Blake had ever seen. Animals of all kinds swung branch to branch, flew off in all directions, or sulked at the foot of the forest.

Kali held her daughter as she stepped forward, forcing Blake forward. Oobleck and Ghira had already stepped inside as the curator remained at the door. He nodded his head as Blake and Kali passed him to catch up.

“Dad…what is this?” The words came out rightfully confused as professor Oobleck continued forward on his own.

“This is the Faunus’ greatest secret. The most prevailing duty of a chieftain of Menagerie, and the origin of all life in Remnant.”

Blake trembled as she tried to gather herself “What’s it doing _here_? How big is this place? Who else knows about it? What is even-“ Ghira threw an arm around his daughter’s shoulder.

“Calm, my daughter. Just watch for a moment longer.” He hoisted her up onto his broad shoulders as if she were a toddler again, but she actually didn’t mind because the height did help her see. In the far off distance she could see, trees were growing into maturity in a matter of moments, whose leaves were devoured by long necked animals not previously there. In the next minute smoke and fires were bellowing into the air, and if she tried to focus on the horizon it all blurred into a seeming emptiness.

“It’s all moving so fast, how far does it reach?”

“Infinitely”

“That’s impossible. It’s just a cave! Right?” Blake looked closer to the foreground and saw professor Oobleck traversing spot to spot with specific intention. “What is he doing?”

“Making sure the barrier between this world and our world isn’t damaged.”

“What happens then?”

“It could mean the end of our world. That’s why it’s a secret, why I protect it. Why I am forced to remain in Menagerie.”

“Set me down please.” Ghira obliged and when she was on the ground Blake continued, “Can we go further inside?”

“Of course. It is our right as the chieftain” The three waded into the jungle with difficulty but were greeted by the inhabitants who would weave around and through their legs. Neither Ghira nor Kali had any qualms about sharing their space with the animals so Blake tried her best to do the same.

“How many people know about this?”

“It is a well-kept secret, but more than you would think.”

“So…without the Faunus here keeping this place safe our world would be completely different place?”

“That is correct.”

“Because of magic? Magic is real?”

“Real. And dangerous.”

“And yet, Faunus are disrespected and abused around the world. If they only knew what you and others have done throughout history-“

“We do not do this to garner respect or praise.” The three caught up to Professor Oobleck who was investigating a gruesome scene of half a dozen collapsed small jungle cats.

Ghira grimaced as the kittens writhed in agony, “This isn’t right. Have you found anything else unusual?”

“Nothing in the slightest. I think this is just a debilitating illness or some kind of birth defect.” Oobleck retrieved a bottle of water out of his pack and gave each cat a bit on the tongue as best he could.

“Poor creatures…” The professor and Oobleck got up to continue investigating to the shock of Blake.

“You’re just going to leave them like this?”

“Honey, it is all right. These things happen when you deal with creating life.”

Clearly disgusted by her father’s cold answer, “Well I am going to stay with these guys until they get better or pass on, or _whatever_ happens here.”

“Blake, really it is quite alright, they will have another chance tomorrow.”

Visibly confused and notably upset her parents had never told her of the existence of magic Blake sat down against a nearby tree with the bottle of water, “I just want to help these kittens and think about all of this.”

Checking his watch Oobleck responded, “Well we do have time.”

“How is it that he knows more than me?! I have been to this cave with you a handful of times, and I _know_ no human has ever gotten in. I was here the time one tried.”

“We needed his help because of his expertise in magic.”

“So you’re not a historian, and the whole plan about deciphering lost languages was some kind of front?”

“That is still happening. With the help of the Cradle Cave, but the preservation of this magical place took precedence.”

“Can I just help the baby kittens?!” Blake had a pout in her voice, the only thing that worked on her stern father. And though there was a time and a place for it, this rush of information did leave her frustrated.

“Take your time.” Ghira and Oobleck left Blake and Kira to meet back at the entrance after they go investigate further.

Kali did her best to explain things as much as she knew but it was never enough, leaving an awkward silence between the two as they cared for the litter of kittens. Time passed and the bit of food and water given to the kittens had not been helping. The setting sun came with a face of worry as Kali told her daughter they need to leave.

“I’m not ready yet. These guys are not okay, I can’t leave them”

As the setting sun got lower and lower Kali had to come out with it, “Blake. It is time to go. No debate, those cats aren’t going to make it through the night. In fact, nothing will.”

“What does that mean?” Kali got up and grabbed her daughter by the wrist and began to run the way they came. With no choice Blake kept up as the sky around her became darker faster than either of them expected. After a moment more of running Ghira and Oobleck came into sight running towards them.

“What we’re you doing?! It’s about to be dark!” The sky turned dark as they ran to the door, with all rays of sun evaporated they started to appear. The red glowing eyes of the Creatures of Grimm had them surrounded. Oobleck moved to clear a path as Kali and Ghira covered their daughter.

The first Beowolf leapt in their direction. In midair an enormous hawk swooped down and clipped it enough off course. The hawk screeched out and Blake’s blood turned ice cold when she _heard_ it.

“Protect the keepers!” The Belladonna’s followed Oobleck closely but in their peripherals Blake could notice animals of all shapes and sizes running at and trying to delay the Grimm as much as they could.

“Protect the keepers! Protect the keepers!” Each call rallied more creatures to their side, but they were no match for Grimm ferocity. They ran and ran as Oobleck knocked Grimm out the way until they spotted the curator at the door. Blake covered her ears and closed her eyes as Ghira had picked her up now. Even with the carnage muffled around her she heard their voices as clear as day. “Protect the keepers!”

Diving through the door the team got back just in time before it closed of its own accord. Blake collapsed in tears, “They’re all going to die! Dad! They’re all going to die!”

“I’m sorry Blake, that’s how this world works. Day and Night in an endless battle. As the day grows life, the night destroys.”

“I don’t want to part of this cruel place _at all!”_

Ghira wrapped himself around his baby girl and apologized, “I’m sorry Blake, I’m sorry you had to see that. It was too soon.”


	5. A Family Tree Shapped of a Snowflake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss' chapter starts here!

“Mother, what are we doing here?” Walking side by side Mrs. Schnee took her daughter down a long hallway in the west end of their house. Weiss in a skirt designed for huntress training and her mother in a long revealing gown that displayed a more than ample amount of cleavage. As she preferred. It was a special place in their home as portraits of a long line of Schnee members adorned each wall. They had been commissioned by Nicholas Schnee after he had built his company and had the wealth to do so. They went back nine hundred years and were a who’s who of Schnee history. Portrayed and adorned the far wall of the hallway of the dead end was the first knighted Schnee Jean-Pierre Schnee.

“Oh, your father and I are having an argument about a guest we’re hosting and I’m just playing my hand.” They paced in perfect unison, as if they had practiced together as they continued down the hall.

“Please don’t bring me into it. He’s still not adjusted well to Winter being at school yet. I actually think he’s a bit paranoid.”

“Honey, it’s all about you though.” The Schnee matriarch giggled as she pulled Weiss in close for a somewhat sincere snuggle just to have Weiss push away.

“What did you do?!”

“Any moment now.” She stopped in a particular spot between Madame Marcy Schnee and the war veteran Eustace Schnee. “You ever come down this way by yourself? I love it with these old paintings.”

“Not ever. It’s too many stories to keep track of, it’s not like they can talk to me.”

“Well you wouldn’t be a proper Schnee without being a least a little introverted.”

“Mother I don’t know what you have planned for me, but I demand you tell me this inst-“ Interupting her flustered demands the space between the two nearest portraits opened up wide enough for someone to walk through. Of course Weiss knew of the many, many tunnels that went through, underground, and around the mansion but she would have even imagined that her father would actually use one, and be cackling like a school boy when he emerged.

Weiss’ face had turned a stark red at her father’s candor by the time he noticed the both of them. The father and daughter gave a long awkward stare before a loud bellowing voice echoed from behind him, “These tunnels really are something. That was quite the adventure.”

“Peter! How lovely it is to see you here!” Mrs. Schnee smiled as the Beacon professor squeezed his way through the doorway. Once through he greeted her properly with a kiss on the top of her hand, “My lady Schnee, I was told you couldn’t join us today and worried my long trip here was a waste.”

“I wouldn’t _dream_ of letting you down, Peter. This is my duty as a Schnee.”

The two chit chatted innocently enough as Jacques pulled Weiss aside, “Did your mother bring you here?”

“Of course. I don’t know what’s going on _at all_. What were you doing in there?”

Jacques turned around to his wife and Professor Port, “Peter, have you met Weiss? Like her sister she is training to become a huntress.”

“Oh, ho! A fellow huntress. It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Schnee.”

“The pleasure is mine, sir.” Weiss introduced herself with a curtsy.

“Peter Port. Professor of Grimm studies at Beacon academy.” He bowed with a wiggle of his burly moustache. Jacques smiled cordially as he inched over towards his and able to pull her into a private conversation of harsh whispers.

“Elizabeth, what the _hell_ do you think you’re doing!?” He hissed and she remained stoic.

“How can you say that to me?! How _dare_ you try to keep this from me! Peter can’t even do his job properly without me here. What even was your plan?”

Jacques threw his hands in the air ceding her point, “Alright fine, I’m an idiot, it was stupid of me, you win, but why did you bring Weiss with you?”

“It’s time for her, Jacques. I know she’s your baby girl, but this will be good for her to see.”

“No it won’t be! She doesn’t need him”

“He can help her! She’s having trouble with her summoning, no one knows better than he.

“She doesn’t need help! She doesn’t need to _summon_! She isn’t going to be a fighter! Even if she thinks so.”

Elizabeth Schee stared down her husband with the fury of a hundred past bitten tongues and let him have it, “You can have my name, you can have my money, you can even have my body, but this is _my_ decision and I’m going to share it will all of my children. Stay, and be quiet, or leave now.” Elizabeth Schnee pushed passed her husband and reunited with Weiss and Professor Port. “Ready to start Peter?”

Mamma Schnee grabbed Weiss by the shoulders from behind and pushed her to the end of the hall with Professor Port. Elizabeth stood about six feet from the final portrait of Knight Schnee with her head down and eyes closed and a glyph expanded into existence from her feet.

The ghostly glow expanded farther and farther down the hall linking each portrait in a connected web following her family history. Weiss stood there dumbfounded as the glyph stretched out and out and out. Elizabeth opened her eyes in the direction of the painting, they glowed the same ghostly white as the glyphs. From the glyph across the painting a body, in that ghostly white, started to emerge.

He landed softly on two feet and will a subtle smile His hair was long and wavy down to the shoulders and he had a full suite of armor from the neck down. A Schnee family crest across his chest plate. He opened his mouth and a soothing voice echoed down the hall, “Hello Elizabeth.”

She returned the smile, “Hello Jean-Pierre”

“It is a pleasure to see you again, what, may I ask is the occasion?”

“This man here, Peter Port needs to speak to you.” Professor Port stepped forward and held out his hand. Jean-Pierre firmly grasped it and shook.

“Sir, I am from a small group who work tirelessly with magical forces in Remnant to ensure they do not fall into the wrong hands. As such it is important to make sure none of their power are being siphoned unwittingly.” Jean-Pierre looked to Elizabeth who nodded.

“Of course Peter Port” Jean-Pierre clasped his hand together, the clap clearly audible, “Ask away.”

Behind the four of them Weiss shook dumbfounded she walked around thinking it some sort of hallucination as Professor Port went through the logistics. Weiss inched closer next to her mother.

“My word, is that Weiss?” Elizabeth nodded enthusiastically and answered

“Fourteen years old, isn’t she just a gorgeous girl?”

“Last time I saw you, you were newly born and the pride of Schnees across space and time. Thank you for bringing her this time Elizabeth.”

“H-hello…Sir. Are you really a Schnee?”

“Indeed I am. Sir Jean-Pierre Schnee, personal knight to the king, slayer of hatred, and first of my family name.” He bowed elegantly and came back up with a ghostly white rose in his hand. He reached out towards Weiss and her mother nudged Weiss to go and grab it.

Reaching out nervously Weiss put two fingers and her thumb around the stem when she flashed back into time. Surrounded by a field of wild roses she could smell the aroma in the cool breeze. Looking around she spotted a tall two towered castle. She blinked and was back in her home, Jean-Pierre smiling at her, and the rose slowly disintegrating in her hand.

“I saw it!”

“That is my home. I’ve always adored that field of roses.”

“Fourteen years of age. It has been a long time. Have you begun to bleed yet?” Professor Port’s let out a hacking cough as Mrs. Schnee burst into laughter and Weiss’ good mood soured.

“No not yet, late bloomer I’m afraid.” Elizabeth managed between giggles

“DON’T TELL HIM!” Weiss snapped as she curled into a ball.

“Honey, honey. It’s okay its only Jean-Pierre, he only cares about you”

“Apologies young Weiss, I only meant it as interesting as most ladies at fourteen years would be married off already.”

Elizabeth continued to laugh as she patted poor Weiss on the back. With no affect Jean-Pierre tried again. “Could you forgive me for my churlishness? I am reminded, especially with your sister going to school to learn to fight, even in your time it remains an almost impossible task to preserve a lineage. I do now and have only ever wished the best for you, your siblings, your future children, and their future children.”

Weiss got back to her feet and looked at the professor and her father and remained silent.

“Tell me what you want to say” Elizabeth pated Weiss on the back and prompted her to say something.

“I don’t know if I can give you want you want. I want to be a huntress.”

“My sweet child, I would never ask of you anything. I am but a protector, a magic hundreds of years old used to give my family the power and safety to pursue whatever they wish. So I protect parents and their children, and I protect warriors.”

Tears welled in her eyes as she admitted her next sentence, “I cannot summon anything. And I’m so bad at it I’m I never will.”

“What is it you think about when you try a summoning?”

“I’m…not sure. I just think about how I defeated them and how I need their power.”

“Try something else. Do not think about how much you need them. Think about it more as a _contract_.”

Weiss thought about it and scoffed under her breath, “Why would they agree to my contract after I _killed_ them.”

 “A chance to be part of something greater than death. A chance to have agency in this life again. But what I offer is simple” The ghostly visage of Jean-Pierre exhaled and a glyph expanded across the hall and around the Schnee mansion in an instant. The portraits in the hall all came to life in the same way, as Jean-Pierre all with a smile in the direction of future of their line. Across the house ghostly summoning of knights in full armor, powerful Grimm, and other past combatants of every past Schnee came to life. All warriors willing to throw themselves in the fray against any enemy to threaten this house.

“What I offer them is immortality.”

**Author's Note:**

> Any questions or comments I'll take em here or on reddit. About my headcannon or whatever else is relevant. I think the segment I enjoyed writing the most was Yang's but I think Weiss' is most interesting. Would love hear from you.


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